Tunisia’s ex-president hails Algerian ‘revolution’

DJERBA, Tunisia

Tunisia’s former president, Moncef Marzouki, on Tuesday described the recent rotation of power in Algeria as “one of the most successful revolutions of the Arab Spring”.

“There has been no blood,” Marzouki told Anadolu Agency. “Protesters are cleaning the streets after their demonstrations.”

“The great Algerian people demanded real change,” he added. “This indicates their rising political awareness.”

“Since 2015, I have expected a second wave of the Arab Spring,” he said.

“The new generation has a totally different mentality, while the regimes want to hold on to power,” Marzouki added. “An explosion was inevitable.”

Earlier Tuesday, Parliament Speaker Abdelkader Bensaleh was officially appointed interim leader.

He replaces long-serving President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who resigned last week amid continued protests against his rule.